View full sizeLisa DeJong, The Plain DealerOne of the cutting-edge radiology equipment being used is Philips 256-slice Brilliance iCT imaging system. Dr. Timothy Moore, director of diagnostic imaging at Ahuja, says the scanner can produce more accurate images in milliseconds using a lower dose of radiation. All images will be archived digitally.

Technicians doing last-minute preparations before the official opening of the new Ahuja Medical Center were dwarfed by the hulking MRI behind glass.

The over $1 million Achieva 3.0T TX MRI is just one of the new pieces of diagnostic equipment at the $298 million hospital complex in Beachwood. The machine offers higher-speed and -resolution scans and the latest inpatient comfort. The MRI tube shoots periodic bursts of fresh air to help alleviate that closed-in feeling. To pass the time, and in some cases aid in a brain scan, patients will be able to view movies on the 60-inch flat-screen monitor positioned adjacent to the MRI.

Ahuja Medical Center President James Benedict Jr. says that the new hospital will not only bring the latest medical technology to the suburbs, it also will act as a magnet for economic investment in the area.

University Hospitals' newest medical center offers other cutting-edge radiology imaging, including the Philips 256-slice Brilliance iCT imaging system, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, state-of-the-art catheterization labs, mammography and more. Ahuja also has orthopedic, gastroenterology and urology services. In addition, it will have the services of the Harrington-McLaughlin Heart and Vascular Institute and the UH Neurological Institute.

The hospital will be a demonstration site for Mentor-based Steris Corp., which makes surgical equipment and operating-room lighting, and Philips Healthcare, a medical-imaging company.

The technology is aimed at improving care, says Dr. Timothy Moore, director of diagnostic imaging at Ahuja, and could draw hospital and medical officials from all over the Midwest and East Coast who want to see how equipment is used "in real time."

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Moore says the Philips CT scanner can produce more accurate images in milliseconds using a lower dose of radiation.

All diagnostic images are archived digitally and shared with physicians off-site.

Benedict sees technology as a way to showcase Ahuja and Northeast Ohio, with possible ties to activities at the downtown medical mart, to be completed in two years.

He intends to reach out to the surrounding community -- including Cuyahoga Community College, Life Time Fitness club and various businesses just across the street. The goal is to coordinate allied health education, fitness and wellness programs.

"It will let us be part of not only the medical economy, but also the economic vitality of this community," Benedict says.

Ahuja is a community hospital, he says, meaning it provides an array of services and treatments. But, Benedict says, care at Ahuja will be integrated with the UH system through technology and transport.

Standing in the middle of one of the 10 operating rooms during a recent tour, Benedict, dressed in a sterile gown, pointed to video equipment. "This will allow doctors outside of this building to have visual access if a consultation is needed during surgery."

Ahuja also will be tied technologically to the hospital system by UH's $100 million electronic medical-record system.

The records will be key if a patient needs care in one of the other UH centers or must be transferred by ambulance or helicopter from the emergency room.

By the numbers

Ever wonder exactly what goes into a building? Here are some of the materials that went into University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center.

4.87 million pounds of structural steel

1.24 million square feet of drywall

400,000 square feet of interior sound insulation

96,000 square feet of metal panels

83,000 feet of duct work

71,000 square feet of glass

68,000 square feet of exterior

62,000 terra cotta

53,000 feet of domestic water pipe

47,000 feet of HVAC pipe

3,055 light switches

1,292 doors

Dr. Jessica Goldstein Resnick, division chief of emergency medicine at Ahuja, says her goal is to have staff members see each patient within 30 minutes of checking in at the registration desk.

"We want to send a message that every emergency is important, and we treat the patients as quickly as possible," she says.

The emergency department is embracing the concept of having separate waiting areas and treatment rooms geared toward adults and children.

Of the 22 emergency-department rooms, six are pediatric-friendly with bright decor. And the children's waiting area has smaller furniture and a serenity fountain to put youngsters at ease.

All the emergency treatment rooms are large enough to accommodate family members and are clustered around a central nursing station to keep the staff close to patients.

Ahuja Chief Medical Officer Alan Hirsh explains that a flat-screen monitor inside the treatment area that lists each person from the time he or she is registered allows doctors, nurses and technicians to monitor the status of tests ordered on wireless equipment, as well as a patient's progress through the system.

Amenities such as music, televisions and inviting surroundings, Resnick says, "will put patients at ease and help them through painful procedures."

To ensure the best care, Ahuja's emergency department is being staffed by doctors from the UH Case Medical Center and UH's Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital.

Ahuja does not have inpatient pediatric rooms.

If a child needs to be hospitalized, Resnick says, he or she will be transferred by either ambulance or helicopter to Rainbow. The same will go for adults in need of more specialized treatment'.

"We're a community-plus hospital," she says. "We have the resources of UH Case Medical Center at our back door."

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